wrapping the wounds. The blood had soaked the front of his jeans.
He gazed down at her for a long moment and then, without fanfare or ceremony, started undoing his belt buckle. He kept his hawklike gaze on her as he unfastened the button and split the fly open.
Too late, she remembered that he wore no underwear. She whirled around, but not before she got a rather good look at the exquisite package he carried between his legs. His body wasn’t the only thing that’d grown up.
Chapter Six
On the bright side, I’m not addicted to cocaine.
—T-shirt
Quentin almost laughed when Amber turned away from him. Her cheeks turned pink instantly as he kicked off his boots and slid his jeans over his hips. Normally, he wore boxers, but the trip had taken longer than expected. He had yet to hit up a laundromat. He did wonder if he shouldn’t have checked the windows around them before stripping. Then again, if anyone was going to call the cops, they would have already. The houses closest to them either weren’t occupied at the moment, or the occupants were out and about.
Still, it was getting pretty late in the morning. Most of the businesses were open, and several tourists walked through town.
Quentin found another pair of jeans and hopped into them, regretting the hop instantly as his stomach muscles contracted. Pain shot through him as if a nine-millimeter had sprayed him.
“Smart,” Rune said.
“Shut up.” He let his gaze travel over Amber’s elfin profile. Down her shapely neck. Over her delicate shoulders. Her long hair cascaded, luxurious like silk, to the top of her incredible ass.
He’d dreamed of her every night for years, and here she was, right in front of him. But he was the last thing she needed. He’d almost killed her once today already. She should get as far away from him as humanly possible, no matter how badly he wanted to bury his face in her hair and his cock in her—
“We’re going to find a better apartment. One without that constant whining sound.”
Quentin finished buttoning the jeans and pulled on a long-sleeved T-shirt as another virtual spray of nine-millimeter bullets hit him, then sent Rune a mental, “Fuck you.”
“She is a traveler.”
“And?”
“She is way out of your league.”
Quentin scoffed as he tugged the shirt into place. “She was out of my league long before she became a traveler.” He reached over and tapped Amber on the shoulder. When she turned around, he presented himself to her. “Better?”
“Much, but you still need a hospital.” Her cheeks were still pink.
“I need food.” He looked at the coffee place where he and Rune had eaten breakfast, but he wanted something meatier.
“I’m parked at the Mine Shaft Tavern.” Amber looked at her watch. “Great food, and they should be opening in a couple of minutes.”
“Sounds good.” He made sure to sign as much as possible. She didn’t need any more proof of what a sideshow attraction he’d become. He may be able to talk fairly well now, but he still stumbled on words. His voice was still wrong. He didn’t sound like other people, and he sometimes got the odd looks to prove it.
She looked down at her blood-soaked tank top. “I can’t go in there like this.” She studied the road. “It’s only a couple of minutes’ walk. I have extra clothes in the trunk, but my bag is still inside the house.” She turned back to him. “The same bag that has my keys and my phone in it.”
“We’ll call a service to get you a new set. I’ll have your bag sent to you when this is over.”
“I’m not leaving, Quentin.” She stepped closer and put a hand on his arm. Warmth radiated out of her fingertips and over him. “I want answers. And, quite frankly, I don’t give a shit if you want to give them to me.”
He bit down, frustration taking hold. He’d never been this close to capturing this demon, and he had it trapped. For now.
“That’s not it,” Rune said. “You don’t want her to know about us. About what we are.”
Quentin ignored him. “You can’t go in there looking like the final girl from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” He noticed the shivering. “And you’re cold.”
“I’m fine. I just—”
He turned his back and rummaged through his duffle bag again. He found an old T-shirt that had been too small for years, yet he took it everywhere. She’d bought it for him when they were in high school. Dark